1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cameras, and in particular, to a camera with a flash device incorporated therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, cameras with flash devices incorporated therein have been devised and commercialized, in which the flash devices protrude from camera bodies only when the cameras are in use, and the illumination angles of the flash devices can be changed by interlocking the movement of the flash devices with zooming of imaging lenses.
A camera with a flash device incorporated therein is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-104696, in which a flash device protrudes and withdraws in linkage with the movement of an imaging-lens barrel along the optical axis, and the illumination angle of the flash device varies in linkage with zooming of an imaging lens.
In the disclosed camera described above, the linkage between the imaging-lens barrel and the flash device is performed by distributing power to a cam member for advancing and withdrawing the flash device and for moving a flash discharge tube from driving gears for driving the imaging-lens barrel along the optical axis. The cam member includes rotating cams, each being continuously disposed on the periphery of a rotating member at a rotational angle corresponding to a driving range of protrusion-withdrawal of the flash device or to a movement range of the flash discharge tube. Therefore, each cam is provided with an effective rotational angle for only one rotation of the rotating member for a cam follower, whereby there is restriction in designing driving power, space, and the like. Since power is also transmitted to the driving member for advancing and withdrawing the flash device while moving the flash discharge tube, the position of the driving member for the advancement and withdrawal is restricted by a spring. Therefore, an additional load is applied to the system as a result of the spring.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera in which a drawback resulting from increased load described above is overcome.
To that end, according to an aspect of the present invention, a camera comprises a flash device movable between a withdrawn position in which the flash device is received in a camera body and an in-use position; an illumination-angle-varying mechanism for changing an illumination angle of the flash device; a lens barrel which is movable for magnification variation; and an operation-linkage mechanism serving, in linkage with movement of the lens barrel, to move the flash device from the withdrawn position to the in-use position and to operate the illumination-angle-varying mechanism while the flash device is moving from the withdrawn position to the in-use position.
In a camera according to the present invention, the flash device may include a light source and an optical panel. The illumination-angle-varying mechanism may include a first lever for changing the distance between the light source and the optical panel.
The flash device may be urged toward the in-use position by an urging member.
The lens barrel is rotated about the optical axis by a motor.
The camera according to the present invention may further comprise a second lever which moves in linkage with the movement of the lens barrel and which moves the first lever, which is coupled with the second lever.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a camera comprises a flash device movable between a withdrawn position in which the flash device is received in a camera body and an in-use position; a lever member for changing an illumination angle of the flash device; a lens barrel which is movable for magnification variation, the flash device moving from the withdrawn position to the in-use position in linkage with movement of the lens barrel; and a driving member for operating the lever member while the flash device moves from the withdrawn position to the in-use position.
The flash device may include a light source and an optical panel. The lever member may change the distance between the light source and the optical panel.
The driving member may operate in linkage with the movement of the lens barrel and drive the lever member, which is coupled with the driving member.
According to the present invention, spaces in the camera can be effectively used compared with a camera including a known flash device, thereby reducing the size of the camera. Operational members coupled with the flash device serve to move the flash device and also to vary the illumination angle, whereby the number of components can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs of the camera.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.